2014 Journal Star Wrestler of the Year: Washington senior Colin Carr

Colin Carr was driven to reach the ultimate destination in high school wrestling.

The Washington senior took a rough road to get there, but still managed to enjoy the ride that led him to a state championship and the 2014 Journal Star Wrestler of the Year honor.

After defeating Crystal Lake Central senior Michael Zelasco 4-2 for the 182-pound state title, Carr leaped into the air, screamed, raised both hands and tried to make a ‘W’ sign with his hands. The hand signal turned into a diamond, but the Panther champ didn’t care.

“I took a lot of crap for that afterwards, but I was just so caught up in the emotion,” Carr said of the gesture. “The first thing that went through my mind was, ‘You did it, you’re a state champion.’ After that, my mind wasn’t really focused on anything other than that moment.”

The title capped a season in which Carr finished with a 48-2 record and went wire-to-wire ranked No. 1 in the state in his class, after getting second a year ago.

He won titles in highly competitive tournaments in Granite City, Pleasant Valley (Iowa) and Geneseo before repeating championships at the Mid-Illini and regionals. His first sectional title came with a quick pin against eventual third-place state finisher Ryan Pitra of Geneseo.

Carr’s only losses came when he wrestled up at 195 pounds — to eventual third-place state finisher Austin Weltha of Bloomington (12-9) in the regular season and to state runner-up Anthony Ferraro of Lombard Montini (5-2) in the state dual tournament.

Not bad for a kid who competed his freshman year as a junior varsity wrestler, then suffered a back injury that took him out of his entire sophomore season.

“As a freshman I didn’t expect to win state ever,” Carr said. “I didn’t even take it seriously then. It was just another sport, instead of the lifestyle it has become for me. I’m a completely different person now than I was then and a better, hard working person.”

Part of the turnaround came from battling back from the injury, with the help of trainer/therapist Joe Terry, while witnessing his teammates succeed on the mat.

“Just watching everyone wrestle and still traveling with the team made me want to be a great wrestler,” Carr said. “That year I got to experience Dylan (Reel) win his third title and those kind of things being seen makes you want to experience the same feelings, so it really gave me a driving force for as soon as I could start wrestling again.”

Carr credits much of his rise to head coach Bryan Medlin, assistant coach Nic Miller and the rest of the Panther staff.

“They push all their wrestlers for greatness and if you listen and do exactly what they tell you to then you will get greatness,” the University of Minnesota recruit said.

Washington coach Bryan Medlin gave each of his individual state tournament wrestlers a notebook to write down their feelings and expectations on the tournament. “That really helped me not be nervous, writing my expected scores for each match and writing down why I deserve to win. It was a very helpful tool. Also, I would just tell myself in my head that I deserve this and I earned this over and over and it stuck with me in the match. Physically, the helpful thing was just being in great condition. It’s things like staying after practice to run sprints or drill for half an hour that really helped that as well.”

Big-time support

Colin Carr was not alone in his quest for a state wrestling championship. “I can’t thank my coaches, family and friends enough for the support. They were there for almost all meets supporting me and giving me confidence with their presence. And at state it was packed with people I love. My parents, sister, aunts and uncles, grandparents, parents’ friends, and about 20 of my own personal closest friends, so I knew they were all watching me and helping me by being there.”

Top 3 Memories

1. Winning the individual state title. “It was the greatest moment of my life and I’ve never been so happy and excited. It was getting my hand raised and hugging my coaches and then my dad and realizing everything I did was all worth it.”

2. Panthers becoming the first large-school area team to make dual-team state in 27 years. Washington lost 50-18 to eventual champion Lombard Montini and Carr suffered a 5-2 setback against 195-pound state runner-up Anthony Ferraro, but ... “Our team had done a first in Washington history and it was my last time being part of the Washington wrestling team. It was really emotional for me, because I knew it was the last time and we had spent so much time and made memories together.”

3. Dominating the Pontiac Sectional, after taking fourth last year. Carr blitzed through the sectional with a 3:32 pin, a 16-6 major decision and a 1:26 pin. “I just felt I had a good tournament.”

Honorable mention: Winning the regional over East Peoria, after losing to the Raiders the year before. “It meant a lot to us as a team and we wouldn’t have made it to team state without it.”

Best year in Panther history

Washington won five medals at the individual state tournament, the best in school and Journal Star area history. Along with Carr’s title, sophomore Randy Meneweather took first at 152, sophomore Ethan Reel second at 113, freshman Jacob Warner second at 160 and freshman Dack Punke third at 106. The Panthers also won their fifth consecutive Mid-Illini title, a regional and advanced to the IHSA dual-team state tournament for the first time.

“It was awesome to be a part of. I’m really happy to be a part of it for four years and also to know I’m leaving the team in position to do great things next year. Our team is only going to get better. We have a really young team. All the state placers are all underclassmen and we have some really great juniors that are still going to do great things and we have some good kids coming in. This year was great and I can’t wait to watch them next year. I’m going to come down as much as I can and support them. I know Washington is going to become a powerhouse from now on, especially since (seven-time champ Lombard) Montini is moving up. State championships are coming our way.”

Carr facts

FAMILY MEMBERS: Parents, Mike and Amy Carr; sister, Chelse Carr.

RECRUITMENT: Signed to wrestle at the University of Minnesota.

COLLEGE PLANS: Like high school, do the best I can in school and wrestling. Hopefully all-American or win NCAAs. It’ll take a lot of work though.

ACADEMIC HONORS: High honor rolls all years. National Honor Society member.

BEST WRESTLER I’VE FACED: I’m gonna say Dylan Reel, and that’s just in the practice room but he really beats up on me.

IF I WERE PRESIDENT I WOULD...: Resign as president because I would mess up somehow

PRE-MATCH RITUAL: Listen to my pre-match playlist, move around a little bit to get warm, when it’s time to go I walk out to the mat, squat my butt to my heels to loosen my knees every time, then go to work.

PRE-MATCH MEAL: Subway. I get made fun of a lot because I always have to have it immediately after weigh-ins, even though I’m not even that hungry because I don’t cut weight.

WRESTLING IS THE BEST SPORT BECAUSE: It’s simply a sport that comes down to who has a bigger heart and who wants to win more. It’s two guys of equal weight and size, they know the same moves but it comes down to heart. And also because it’s not a soft sport that requires much equipment or a ball of some sort, it’s a battle.

NICKNAME: Dr. Drip, Crabman and Twitch.

HOBBIES/INTEREST: Wrestling really. If I’m not wrestling I’m really bored and don’t know what to do with myself. I guess I enjoy playing the keyboard.

PART-TIME JOB: beating people up on mats.

DREAM JOB: It’s what in gonna do, I’m going to be a teacher at WCHS and coach wrestling here.

SUPERSTITIONS: I have a pair of spandex I always wear for matches, I also make sure my size tag on my singlet is always tucked in.

BIGGEST FEAR: Up until now it was losing a chance to be state champion. Now, I’d have to say it’s back to being spiders or something like that.

ROLE MODEL: I have too many to be specific. But my dad, my coaches and my grandpa are all very hard-working, honest people that have had effects on me.

DINNER WITH 3 PEOPLE, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO?: Seth Rogan, Danny McBride and Will Ferrell. It would be the funniest dinner of all time.